2012 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2012 Atlantic hurricane season was most active Atlantic hurricane season in recorded history, shattering even the records of 2005, with a total of 50 tropical/subtropical depressions, 45 named storms, 34 hurricanes, and 29 major hurricanes observed. Hypercane Gordon shattered the record for the world's most powerful storm, having a top wind speed of 510 mph (820 km/h) and a pressure of 799 mbar, far eclipsing 1979's Super Typhoon Tip (which had 190 mph winds and a previously record pressure of 870 mbar). The hypercane was initally a tropical storm that seemed to be on the verge of dying and dissipating by July 1, but while passing over an erupting underwater supervolcano near Bermuda, it formed into a massive superstorm which destroyed much of southern England and eastern Europe, including Schleswig Holstein, Germany; Helsinki, Finland; and St. Petersburg along with much of Russia's Arctic coast, as well as swamping the Netherlands' coastline. Storms of unusually early formation for the year included Category 2 Hurricanes Alberto and Beryl, both of which formed on January 28 from a splitting tropical wave in the southern Caribbean and later dissipated on February 7 and 9 after impacting Columbia, Panama, and Mexico, respectively. Alberto set and Beryl tied the record for earliest-forming Atlantic storm until 2028's Aaron. The remnants of Hurricane Sandy also spawned the Atlanta 'Super-Tornado', which contained the fastest winds ever recorded on Earth, 702 mph, all-but obliterating downtown Atlanta, leaving only twisted ruins and a one-hundred and fifteen mile-long path of destruction as far as Chattanooga, Tennessee's outskirts, destroying multiple towns and killing nearly six thousand in Atlanta alone (nearly 7700 in total). The second strongest tornado of the year was spawned by Hurricane Isaac in the outskirts of St. Nazaire, France, containing winds of 650 mph, leaving a sixty-eight mile long trail of devastation through eastern France as far as Rennes. Storms Note: * indicates name retired from use Hurricane Alberto Category 2 hurricane, winds 110 mph Min. Pressure: 965 mbar Formed: January 28, 2012 Dissipated: February 7, 2012 Landfall(s): Soledad, Columbia; Colon, Panama; Changuinola, Panama Hurricane Beryl Category 2 hurricane, winds 105 mph Min. Pressure: 971 mbar Formed: January 28, 2012 Dissipated: February 9, 2012 Landfall(s): Cayman Islands; Cancun, Mexico Tropical Storm Chris Tropical storm, winds 70 mph Min. Pressure: 989 mbar Formed: February 17, 2012 Dissipated: February 26, 2012 Landfall(s): Eleuthera Island, Bahamas; St. Augustine, Florida Hurricane Debby Category 3 hurricane, winds 120 mph Min. Pressure: 957 mbar Formed: March 29, 2012 Dissipated: April 7, 2012 Landfall(s): Key West, Florida; Port Arthur, Texas Hurricane Ernesto* Category 3 hurricane, winds 120 mph Min. Pressure: 960 mbar Formed: April 6, 2012 Dissipated: April 20, 2012 Landfall(s): Cancun, Mexico; Honduras-Guatemala border Hurricane Florence Category 4 hurricane, winds 140 mph Min. Pressure: 947 mbar Formed: May 13, 2012 Dissipated: June 1, 2012 Landfall(s): None Hypercane Gordon* Category 9 hypercane, winds 510 mph Min. Pressure: 799 mbar Formed: June 30, 2012 Dissipated: September 2, 2012 Landfall(s): Plymouth, England; Weymouth, England; Isle of Wight, England; Oostende, Belgium; Vlissingen, Netherlands; Burghsluis, Netherlands; Sankt Peter-Ording, Germany; Helsinki, Finland; St. Petersburg, Russia; Point Hope, Alaska Hurricane Helene Category 4 hurricane, winds 150 mph Min. Pressure: 937 mbar Formed: July 4, 2012 Dissipated: July 25, 2012 Landfall(s): None Hurricane Isaac* Category 4 hurricane, winds 155 mph Min. Pressure: 930 mbar Formed: July 10, 2012 Dissipated: August 2, 2012 Landfall(s): Saint-Nazaire, France; Eastbourne, England Tropical Storm Joyce Tropical storm, winds 65 mph Min. Pressure: 992 mbar Formed: July 27, 2012 Dissipated: August 5, 2012 Landfall(s): Cape Race, Newfoundland Subtropical Depression Eleven Subtropical depression, winds 35 mph Min. Pressure: 1014 mbar Formed: July 27, 2012 Dissipated: July 28, 2012 Landfall(s): Mykines Island, Faroe Islands Hurricane Kirk* Category 5 hurricane, winds 175 mph Min. Pressure: 914 mbar Formed: July 27, 2012 Dissipated: August 10, 2012 Landfall(s): Miami, Florida; Pascagoula, Mississippi; Black Bay, Louisiana; Madisonville, Louisiana Hurricane Leslie Category 5 hurricane, winds 170 mph Min. Pressure: 918 mbar Formed: August 11, 2012 Dissipated: August 30, 2012 Landfall(s): None Tropical Storm Michael Tropical storm, winds 70 mph Min. Pressure: 988 mbar Formed: August 11, 2012 Dissipated: August 20, 2012 Landfall(s): La Rochelle, France Hurricane Nadine Category 2 hurricane, winds 110 mph Min. Pressure: 970 mbar Formed: August 20, 2012 Dissipated: September 2, 2012 Landfall(s): Bermuda; Boston, Massachusetts; Portland, Maine Hurricane Oscar* Category 5 hurricane, winds 170 mph Min. Pressure: 917 mbar Formed: August 29, 2012 September 21, 2012 Landfall(s): Cameron, Louisiana; Florida-Alabama border Hurricane Patty Category 4 hurricane, winds 150 mph Min. Pressure: 929 mbar Formed: August 30, 2012 Dissipated: September 13, 2012 Landfall(s): Garden City, South Carolina Hurricane Rafael* Category 6 hurricane, winds 225 mph Min. Pressure: 862 mbar Formed: September 12, 2012 Dissipated: October 1, 2012 Landfall(s): Mastic Beach, New York ; New Haven, Connecticut Hurricane Sandy* Category 5 hurricane, winds 180 mph Min. Pressure: 902 mbar Formed: September 15, 2012 Dissipated: October 3, 2012 Landfall(s): Savannah, Georgia Hurricane Tony Category 5 hurricane, winds 190 mph Min. Pressure: 897 mbar Formed: September 17, 2012 Dissipated: October 7, 2012 Landfall(s): Hvolsvöllur, Iceland Hurricane Valerie Category 4 hurricane, winds 150 mph Min. Pressure: 932 mbar Formed: September 22, 2012 Dissipated: October 10, 2012 Landfall(s): Grenada; Maracaibo, Venezuela Hurricane William* Category 6 hurricane, winds 215 mph Min. Pressure: 870 mbar Formed: September 25, 2012 Dissipated: October 16, 2012 Landfall(s): Lisbon, Portugal Hurricane Alpha Category 5 hurricane, winds 190 mph Min. Pressure: 893 mbar Formed: September 26, 2012 Dissipated: October 18, 2012 Landfall(s): Cancun, Mexico; Veracruz, Mexico Subtropical Depression Twenty-Four Subtropical depression, winds 35 mph Min. Pressure: 1007 mbar Formed: September 28, 2012 Dissipated: September 29, 2012 Landfall(s): Bermuda Hurricane Beta Category 4 hurricane, winds 145 mph Min. Pressure: 941 mbar Formed: September 30, 2012 Dissipated: October 20, 2012 Landfall(s): None Hurricane Gamma Category 5 hurricane, winds 195 mph Min. Pressure: 887 mbar Formed: October 2, 2012 Dissipated: October 30, 2012 Landfall(s): Brownsville, Texas Hurricane Delta Category 5 hurricane, winds 185 mph Min. Pressure: 900 mbar Formed: October 2, 2012 Dissipated: November 1, 2012 Landfall(s): None Hurricane Epsilon Category 2 hurricane, winds 110 mph Min. Pressure: 965 mbar Formed: October 7, 2012 Dissipated: November 3, 2012 Landfall(s): La Romaine, Canada Tropical Storm Zeta Tropical storm, winds 70 mph Min. Pressure: 985 mbar Formed: October 10, 2012 Dissipated: October 19, 2012 Landfall(s): None Hurricane Eta Category 6 hurricane, winds 220 mph Min. Pressure: 865 mbar Formed: October 10, 2012 Dissipated: November 10, 2012 Landfall(s): None Hurricane Theta* Category 5 hurricane, winds 190 mph Min. Pressure: 902 mbar Formed: October 17, 2012 Dissipated: November 8, 2012 Landfall(s): Canal Zone, Panama Hurricane Iota* Category 4 hurricane, winds 150 mph Min. Pressure: 934 mbar Formed: October 20, 2012 Dissipated: November 13, 2012 Landfall(s): Virginia Beach, Virginia; Gloucester Point, Virginia Hurricane Kappa* Category 4 hurricane, winds 155 mph Min. Pressure: 930 mbar Formed: October 26, 2012 Dissipated: November 19, 2012 Landfall(s): Ocean City, Maryland; Baltimore, Maryland Tropical Storm Lambda Tropical storm, winds 70 mph Min. Pressure: 987 mbar Formed: October 30, 2012 Dissipated: November 7, 2012 Landfall(s): Kilkee, Ireland Tropical Storm Mu Tropical storm, winds 65 mph Min. Pressure: 990 mbar Formed: November 1, 2012 Dissipated: November 10, 2012 Landfall(s): Swansea, Wales Tropical Depression Thirty-Six Tropical depression, winds 30 mph Min. Pressure: 1009 mbar Formed: November 1, 2012 Dissipated: November 2, 2012 Landfall(s): None Tropical Depression Thirty-Seven Tropical depression, winds 35 mph Min. Pressure: 1013 mbar Formed: November 2, 2012 Dissipated: November 3, 2012 Landfall(s): Cedar Hammock, Georgia Tropical Storm Nu Tropical storm, winds 70 mph Min. Pressure: 986 mbar Formed: November 2, 2012 Dissipated: November 9, 2012 Landfall(s): Old Head of Kinsale, Ireland; St. Brides Bay, Wales Hurricane Xi Category 2 hurricane, winds 110 mph Min. Pressure: 969 mbar Formed: November 10, 2012 Dissipated: November 27, 2012 Landfall(s): St. Helier, France; Alderney Island, France; Isle of Wight, England Tropical Storm Omicron Tropical storm, winds 55 mph Min. Pressure: 996 mbar Formed: November 16, 2012 Dissipated: November 20, 2012 Landfall(s): Watchman Island, Canada Tropical Storm Pi Tropical storm, winds 65 mph Min. Pressure: 989 mbar Formed: November 19, 2012 Dissipated: November 24, 2012 Landfall(s): Delta Amacuro, Venezuela Hurricane Rho Category 4, winds 145 mph Min. Pressure: 943 mbar Formed: November 22, 2012 Dissipated: December 10, 2012 Landfall(s):São João de Pirabas, Brazil Tropical Storm Sigma Tropical storm, winds 70 mph Min. Pressure: 988 mbar Formed: November 22, 2012 Dissipated: November 29, 2012 Landfall(s): None Hurricane Tau Category 4 hurricane, winds 155 mph Min. Pressure: 929 mbar Formed: November 22, 2012 Dissipated: December 8, 2012 Landfall(s): None Hurricane Upsilon Category 2 hurricane, winds 105 mph Min. Pressure: 971 mbar Formed: November 22, 2012 Dissipated: December 2, 2012 Landfall(s): Kitsigsut, Greenland Hurricane Phi Category 5 hurricane, winds 165 mph Min. Pressure: 910 mbar Formed: November 22, 2012 Dissipated: December 16, 2012 Landfall(s): None Hurricane Chi Category 5 hurricane, winds 180 mph Min. Pressure: 868 mbar Formed: December 1, 2012 Dissipated: December 23, 2012 Landfall(s): Sal Island, Cape Verde; Nouakchott, Mauritania Tropical Storm Psi Tropical storm, winds 70 mph Min. Pressure: 985 mbar Formed: December 5, 2012 Dissipated: December 13, 2012 Landfall(s): Santa Maria, Azores Hurricane Omega* Category 5 hurricane, winds 195 mph Min. Pressure: 879 mbar Formed: December 19, 2012 Dissipated: January 9, 2013 Landfall(s): Rota, Spain; Almuñécar, Spain Tropical Depression Fifty Tropical depression, winds 35 mph Min. Pressure: 1004 mbar Formed: December 23, 2012 Dissipated: December 25, 2012 Landfall(s): None Retirement The level of activity ensured that that a record number of names would be retired. These names were Ernesto, Gordon, Isaac, Kirk, Oscar, Rafael, Sandy, and William. Theta, Iota, Kappa, and Omega were also retired, but were also marked for potential reuse in the future, though activity would never again reach this level. The record for number of names retired exceeded 2005's five retired, with eleven being officially retired, but only eight unofficially, excepting the Greek names. Table of Storms Category:Mercury Rising Continuity Category:2012 Atlantic hurricane season Category:Atlantic hurricane seasons Category:Atlantic hurricanes Category:Atlantic hypercanes Category:2012 disasters Category:Tropical cyclones